Committee to discuss aligning autism and intellectual disability services with the UNCRPD

The UNCRPD is a landmark Convention which simply seeks to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy the same human rights as everyone else.

This calls for a step-change across all sectors of society from a medial model of disability to a social and rights-based model of care, which ensures the inclusion of all groups of people with disabilities across our communities.

The Committee will meet with Adam Harris, AsIAm, Gillian Kearns and Maja-Kristina Akinsha, Autistic Paddies, Tom McLoughlin, Jean Mullan and David Doyle.

In advance of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Michael Moynihan said: “This is the second in a series of meetings covering the topic of ‘Aligning Disability Services with the UNCRPD’.

The Committee will hear from representatives who advocate for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.”

“This meeting will hear about the barriers faced by people with autism or an intellectual disability and how we can make our communities more inclusive for people who are neurodiverse. The Committee looks forward to discussing these topics and the wider debate with our guests.”

The meeting in Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on the Oireachtas website.

The Joint Committee on Disability Matters has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad. More information can be found on the dedicated Committee Webpage.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.